Earth to ABC News fact-checkers: Ford did NOT accept bailout money!

If you suffered through last night’s State of the Union address, you probably noticed when President Obama strongly implied that Ford was one of the U.S. automakers bailed out by the government, along with GM and Chrysler.

Here is the text from that portion of the speech:

On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number-one automaker. (Applause.) Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.

Obama must think he’s pretty slick because he does this all the time, lumping Ford in with GM and Chrysler as he attempts to put a positive spin on the auto bailouts. Of course it is common knowledge that Ford stands out among the Big Three American auto companies because they refused to accept bailout money. They even made a commercial emphasizing this fact, for crying out loud.

So, put another one in the “pants-on-fire” column for Obama, right? Wrong. Not only did the ABC News “fact-checkers” not correct the record, they were even more explicit in stating that Ford was among the bailed out U.S. auto companies.

You really have to read this to believe it.

Fact or Fiction Number 3 – The American Auto Industry is Back

When Obama took office in 2008 the American auto industry was indeed in crisis. General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford were all facing financial turmoil, and seeking government bailouts in order to stay afloat. In 2009, Obama hired Steve Rattner to serve as his car czar, and oversee the federal bailout of these three American institutions.

Today, General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford have turned around. General Motors recently reclaimed its place as the top-selling automaker in the world, ousting the previous top-seller, Toyota. Chrysler is currently America’s fastest growing car company, and Ford recently announced plans to invest $446 million in manufacturing in Brazil.

Is it any wonder that the mainstream media is held in such low regard these days? Even the so-called fact-checkers can’t get their facts straight.


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